THE Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations (Actoo) said it did not join the weeklong no-work protest at the Port of Manila because it is disruptive to economic activity.
Trucking groups and customs brokers organized a "rest day" protest to bring attention to lingering congestion caused by unclaimed empty shipping containers.
“Going on strike, protesting are legitimate actions but this comes with responsibility,” Actoo Vice President Rina Papa said. “There’s a time for protests. But it is not now,” she added, noting the action would be detrimental to the economy.
Papa questioned the “hypocrisy” of some of the leaders of the protest.
“They declare a lot of things, but do another,” she added, referring to the continued trucking operations of some of the participants during the protest.
“We want clear, concrete, and grounded solutions to the problems faced by truckers and the entire logistics sector. We see no value in grandstanding or simply making noise without clear demands, direction, and a strategy for achieving results,” Papa said.
CitizenWatch and Konsyumer at Mamamayan (KM) said the protest would upset the movement of essential goods and harm consumers.
“A ‘port holiday’ could create another burden for ordinary Filipinos who are already having a hard time. It will only disrupt the movement of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential goods,” said CitizenWatch co-convenor Christopher Belmonte.
KM Convenor Louie Montemayor said operations should continue while the government, shipping lines, port operators, container depots and truckers negotiate.
“There should be concrete reforms, accountability and certain deadlines,” Montemayor said in Filipino.
The protest began on Oct. 5 after being moved from Sept. 28 to give traders, importers and exporters more time to adjust their shipping schedules.
Organizers said delays in returning empty containers had extended from two weeks to as long as one month.